Allagash Odyssey

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Real solid for sure. Smells of mesquite barbeque smoke, soy sauce and vanilla extract. Coca cola brown with garnet hues and a thin tan head to be delicately slurped. Flavor is rich, woody, earthy minerals and burnt sugar cookie with an alcoholic tacky finish. Interesting brew all around and very satisfying with grilled food for sure. Thanks Allagash. 2008 22 oz. from our boy Scott at Oak Tree Buy Rite.

Cask@GBBF 2009. Dark nut brown color, small beige head. Licorice and tar in the nose as well as dark malts. Flavor has sweet caramel, some wood, licorice, vanilla and calvados. Liquerish palate. Some roasted notes in the aftertaste with sweetness.

Cask@GBBF2009. Deep amber colour, small brown head. Aroma is liquorice, mild smoke, some wood as well as spices. Also some mild herbal and alcoholic notes. Flavour is liquorice, caramel, sugar, maplesyrup, smoke, some plum and mild spicy and alcohlic notes as well.

On tap at GBBF 09. Dark brown with almost no head. Intense rummy, woody, even somewhat herbal aroma. Complex blend of whisky, fruity, caramel and herbal flavours. A late night philosopher’s ale.

750mL bottle, dated February 2005. Poured a lovely shade of burnt garnet with a thick, easily-resuscitated cap of mid tan head.. surprisingly clear, but it was lovely. The aroma did anything but dissapoint.. rich vinous notes and aged molasses were accented by brown sugar, vanilla, and faint cocoa powder.. no oxidation evident, but it definitely became sweeter and deeper with age.. I lost about 8 minutes with my nose in the glass. The flavor opened with black pepper spicage and redder fruit skins, really mellowing out rather than becoming sharp.. brown sugar, aged caramel, and molasses were found on the core, laced with sweeter chocolates.. light peppery and oaky notes, dried cherries, and earth surrounded.. warm, but not hot on the finish with the same excellent malt bill. Heavily-bodied with a creamy feel on the middle and more spicy on the edges.. warm after-effects in the nose after the finish.. balance and aging were spot-on. This was just magnificent.

’07 bottle thanks to BanditBrewingCO (BA)
Beautiful dark purple, thin cream-colored head that is gone quickly. Nose of oak, nut, earth, and lots of sweet, deep berry, also some caramel and hints of the 10.4% abv. More fruit in the flavor, burnt toast, light vanilla and some oak, a little alcohol. Thin body, long fruity finish. Not incredibly complex, but nicely so and rather cohesive, and on top, pure enjoyment.

Bottle. Pour was deep copper with not a lot of head. Aroma was of toffee, dark fruits, sweet malt, and oak. Vanilla was a bit more prevalent in the flavors along with more toffee, malt, and toast. Very smooth brew with a great blend of both flavors and aromas. I’d love to have another one of these.

Purchased from New Beer Distributers, NYC. Label says bottled September 2008. Very thin dirty white head with persistent lacing on the sides of the tulip glass. Clear reddish brown body. Very nice flavors of caramel, stone fruits, leather, oak. Almost perfect, but if Allagash were to do a Bourbon barrel version, it would be orgasmic.